Powderfinger
by RobertDogwood
Summary: Irvine helps to defend the Garden in this song fic. PG-13 for violence.


Powderfinger

A Final Fantasy VIII song fic

Final Fantasy VIII characters and locations from said game are owned by SquareSoft.

'Powderfinger' all rights reserved, Neil Young.

By Robertdogwood

Rated PG-13 for violence

Dedicated to Vick330

I had just finished reading Vick330's wonderful new series, 'Knights and Lovers,' while listening to one of my favorite Neil Young songs, and it caused me to think of Irvine. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Vick330 for all he has done to help me in the past year. He is not only a wonderful writer, but also a special friend.

**Look out, Mama, there's a white boat comin' up the river  
With a big red beacon, and a flag, and a man on the rail.**

Irvine had been made a SeeD, soon after returning from fighting Sorceress Ultimecia in time compression. He and Selphie had wed two years later. Selphie quickly borne him two children in succession; a girl they named Victoria and a boy they called Victor. They were apparently named after Irvine's grandfather.

Irvine was later made a commander and transferred to Trabia Garden and then from there was sent to Centra as Headmaster, with the important job of constructing a new Garden. Naturally enough, there had been quite an outcry in the world press against what had been described as the ever increasing encroachment of the 'evil fascist Garden,' as if there were some sort of sinister plot afoot on the part of the Garden to usurp world power.

In reality the situation was almost completely the opposite. After the second Lunar Cry, a number of people emigrated from different countries to Centra and began to rebuild the longtime desolate country. Once a certain amount of civilization had returned, the people, through their local form of government, decided that they would feel more secure if there were some protection besides whatever their army might offer and they broached the idea with Garden that a new one could be placed there.

The Headmaster warmed to the idea, if Centra could be convinced to provide the land free on which the Garden would be built. Cid always was a canny operator, when it came to saving money.

The Centra government agreed to this and construction was begun on the new Garden with, of course, a very political ribbon cutting ceremony. Squall was expected to preside at the service, but naturally managed to slip out of it somehow and Irvine was glad to be his substitute.

The only thing that made the cowboy unhappy about the entire situation was, until the Garden was completely built and underway for business, Selphie and the children had to remain back at Balamb Garden, because conditions were just too primitive at this point for small children. The world press continued its' anti-Garden campaign and, in particular, the country of Galbadia was extremely displeased with the new Garden being built. They rejected any of the explanations being offered by the Garden proponents and instead became more and more incensed.

The new Garden was being built near the site of the old orphanage, which had been allowed to remain as a historical momument as the first home of SeeD. One afternoon in the late summer, as Irvine wandered out to the young SeeDs on watch at the beach, he mused back over all the events that had occurred since his meeting the young SeeDs from Balamb Garden on that fateful day. _ The Dead were right, _ he thought. _ What a long strange trip it's been. _

"How's it going?" Irvine asked the two brand new SeeDs. "Anything out of the ordinary?"

"No sir, everything appears calm," explained Holly, a very attractive raven-haired young woman. _ Just the way I used to like them, before I was an old married man, _ thought the cowboy Headmaster rather sardonically, as he gazed upon the beautiful figure of the five foot, five inch tall young woman.

"Sir, why did we leave this broken down old building here?" asked Don, a male SeeD who stood almost six feet tall. He had long blonde hair, a slender frame and the unusual trait of one green eye and one blue.

Irvine appeared surprised. "You mean you never heard about the orphanage?" The two young SeeDs shook their heads.

Their supervisor immediately launched into his tale of seven orphans and a Matron named Edea. Halfway through, what was to him, a most fascinating story, Irvine noticed that the eyes of his young subordinates had glazed over indicating their present lack of interest. He strove to finish his historical lecture as quickly as possible ending with his saying, "So that's how SeeD came into being."

"What do you think?" the Headmaster inquired.

Holly yawned before answering, "Just sounds like ancient history to me."

Irvine suddenly felt much older than his twenty-two years but, before he could frame a response, a mortar shell flew high over his head striking the nearest outside wall of the orphanage, knocking a large hole in it.

**I think you better call John,  
'Cause it don't look like they're here to deliver the mail  
And it's less than a mile away  
It's got numbers on the side and a gun  
And it's makin' big waves.**

Two more mortar shells whistled over them, but these landed much closer on the beach near them. Where the shells struck, they left huge craters in the beach displacing the sand in all directions. The enemy appeared to be zeroing their aim in.

Irvine lifted up _ Exeter _ and looked through the telescopic sight. He observed a fleet of Galbadian gun boats bearing down on them. Irvine then reached a decision, in a split second, that would set him on the inexorable path of destruction.

**Daddy's gone, my brother's out hunting in the mountains  
Big John's been drinking since the river took Emmy-Lou  
So the Powers That Be left me here to do the thinkin'**

He foolishly had left his cell phone in his room that would have linked him immediately to his second-in-command, the ever competent Ifalna.

"Go," the tall cowboy ordered the two SeeDs. "Go now! Alert the Garden. Tell them to set their first line of defense directly in front of the Garden. This area will be completely overun by then."

"But sir," Holly protested stating the obvious, "you'll be killed. Come with us."

"Go now!" Irvine screamed, his face turning crimson.

As the two young SeeDs scurried away back towards the Garden, their Headmaster called after them. "Tell Ifalna to contact Balamb Garden to send reinforcements in the Ragnarok."

**Daddy's rifle in my hand felt reassurin'  
He told me, Red means run, son, numbers add up to nothin'  
But when the first shot hit the docks I saw it comin'**

Returning his attention to the approaching gun boats, Irvine smiled grimly to himself. He realized the only hope his young charges had of holding off the Galbadian forces until Balamb Garden could send reinforcements would be for him to slow them down for as long as possible.

Looking around for a strategic point of defense, Irvine hurried back up the path leading to the old broken down orphanage building. He realized coming up the path would not only be the fastest way up for the Galbadians, but also the safest because it would be far too easy to have their troops picked off, if they chose to climb up the hill instead.

Running into the orphanage and wildly looking around, Irvine chose the first room available after entering from the beach side. Setting up some broken benches and other useless pieces of furniture in the large window, which long had gone without the protection of glass, Irvine knelt down and waited for the first onslaught.

Mortar shells were continuing to whistle by and land all around, but none of them were stiking very closely to Irvine. The first gunboat slid up on the beach and the Galbadian troops exited as quickly as possible and started up the path. Only having a limited amount of ammunition with him, Irvine now wished he had ordered one of the SeeDs to come back with some.

_ Well, it probably wouldn't matter in the long run, and it would be better not to waste any other SeeD lives at this spot, _ Irvine realized. Anyway he knew, if push came to shove, he could wait to shoot until there were a couple of Galbadian soldiers right in front of him and then utilize their weapons, although Irvine truly hated those clunky Galbadian rifles.

**But when the first shot hit the docks I saw it comin'  
Raised my rifle to my eye  
Never stopped to wonder why,  
Then I saw black,  
And my face splashed in the sky.**

As soon as the first Galbadian troops showed up on the path, Irvine began firing. Realizing he had limited ammunition, he made every shot count. Not firing until the invaders were well in range, and also shooting to kill rather than just wound and maim, he hadn't missed a shot. The path that had been clear just a couple of minutes before was now littered with dead Galbadians.

From a distance he thought he could hear some of his SeeDs falling out in front of the half-built Garden in their proposed defense, but it could have been wishful thinking on his part. Irvine knew there wasn't a chance in hell that the Ragnarok could arrive with SeeDs in time to save him, but if he could just slow the enemy enough to prevent them from overrunning his young SeeDs, destroying the Garden and laying claim to this part of Centra, he would have accomplished his job.

It had been over a half an hour now, but he was out of impulse ammo and was going to have to resort to using Galbadian weapons. Unfortunately at the moment he didn't have one. He had miscalculated his own aummunition. There was a dead Galbadian trooper lying about ten yards down the path. Irvine realized he was going to have to run down there and grab the soldier's rifle and all the ammo he could carry quickly, before any other soldiers traveled up the path.

**Shelter me from the powder and the finger  
Cover me with the thought that pulled the trigger**

Irvine was almost down to the deceased soldier, when the first shot slammed into his side. Besides wounding him and knocking him down, it shattered some ribs and knocked the wind right out of him. Pulling himself up on his knees, he crammed his pockets full of ammo and grabbed the rifle.

Starting back up the path, another shot rang out and hit him in the small of his back propelling him forward, then two more shots hit him in the legs spinning him around, before he fell on to the ground. Luckily he was back where he started, inside the orphanage. He checked the ammo in the rifle and made certain it was completely loaded. He then transferred his telescopic sight from _ Exeter _ to the Galbadian rifle. It wouldn't help him shoot the more inferior weapon any further, but it would allow him to see further down the path.

**Think of me as one you'd never figured  
Would fade away so young  
With so much left undone**

Irvine was in excruciating pain. He realized, if he could last for just a few minutes more, he would go into shock and the pain would recede some, but then he would have to struggle to remain awake. Irvine was positive the Galbadian troops would be unable to know exactly how badly they had wounded him and they would be loath to just charge wildly up the path. Despite the pain, he decided against using the morphine that all SeeDs carried at all times. Irvine could certainly use some curative magic to deaden the pain some, but then he would definitely become giddy for a short time and he could not afford that luxury.

It suddenly struck him that the worst thing about dying was leaving his young children behind and, of course, not being allowed to bid farewell to his beloved Selphie.

**Remember me to my love,  
I know I'll miss her.**

Irvine had a strong feeling, if he could hold out for just a little while longer, the Galbadian soldiers would have to retreat, because they would have lost the all important element of surprise. His SeeDs would be prepared for the frontal assault and the reinforcements would arrive from Balamb Garden.

* * *

Squall walked with Zell, beside him, down to where Irvine's broken body lay. Zell was clenching and unclenching his fists. Suddenly he struck the ground. The blond SeeD exploded, "This makes me mad as hell!"

Squall thought back to all the near scrapes he and Irvine had managed to escape in the past, now only to have this happen. He wiped the meager tears that had sprung from his eyes, before his cohort noticed them. Squall sighed heavily. He realized unhappily, on top of everything else, he would have to notify Selphie.

Squall decided when the Garden was completed and it would be built now - thanks to Irvine, it would be named after the cowboy sharpshooter. Squall knelt and picked Irvine up in his arms.

"Squall!" Zell complained, "you'll get blood all over your uniform. Wait until they get down here with the stretcher."

Squall turned and silenced his impetuous friend. "It's the very least he deserves." Squall turned and began walking through the orphanage and back up to the partially built Garden.

The End


End file.
